Lise Meitner Prize of EPS

For outstanding contributions to Nuclear Science. Represents thebreadth and strength of Nuclear Physics in Europe.

• Awarded from 2000

• Open call for nominations

• Decision by the EPS Nuclear Physics Division, based on external referees, endorsed by the EPS Executive Committee

Lise Meitner Prize of EPS 2010 is awarded to

Juha Äystö

Department of Physics

University of Jyväskylä, Finland

for „accurate determination of nuclear fundamental properties by an

invention of innovative methods of ion guidance and its applications to

radioactive ion beams"

Laudatio

During the last decades the development of an important subfield of Nuclear Physics was characterised by the invention of methods for increasing the selectivity, sensitivity, and accuracy in measurements of basic nuclear properties.

A key breakthrough in this direction was the development of the ingenious pioneering method of gas guidance of ion beams, as implemented by Professor Juha Äystö at the University of Jyväskylä in the mid-80's.

Laudatio

The ion-guide concept has since become universal for many different

nuclear reactions that cover almost all elements in the Periodic Table.

The basic idea was to thermalise the products in a noble buffer gas,

which resets the charge state of all ions to unity. The singly-charged

ions are rapidly extracted and transported by an ultrasonic jet into

the electrode system of a mass separator. Due to the speed, down to

milliseconds, and selectivity when combined with the isotope separator

the ion guide is an ideal tool for investigation of short-lived exotic

nuclides.

Laudatio

The awardee has developed the method further and exploited the

possibilities of the ion guide technique by combining it with novel

research methods and instruments like laser-spectroscopy and ion trap

set-ups at the IGISOL-facility in Jyväskylä.

Over the last twenty years the ion guide concept has also been

introduced throughout the world and many setups are already in

operation, under construction, or planned for the study of the physics

of nuclei, atoms and elementary particles.

Laudatio

Prof. Juha Äystö has obtained a very broad range of physics results at

different facilities. He began his spectroscopic studies in proton-rich

nuclei with beta-delayed one and two-proton decays. To the results

belongs the discovery of a series of Tz = -5/2 nuclei in the sd shell

via beta-delayed two-proton decay. Besides the numerous precise basic

data on binding energies, radii and reaction/decay energies, an

impressive variety of decay properties of ground and isomeric states

have been investigated. These provide important and necessary

information for nuclear structure, weak interaction physics (super

allowed beta decay with the check of unitarity of the CKM-matrix and

double beta decay), nuclear astrophysics processes (r and rp) etc.

Laudatio

In parallel with his successful scientific career with the highlight of the innovation of the ion guide, Prof. Äystö has played a leading role

in promoting nuclear physics in Finland and Europe.

The awardee has also served the European Nuclear Physics Community in various international scientific committees and panels.